In front of Yenicami, two trolleybuses—one leaving and the other arriving… A total of 100 of these vehicles—completely silent, smoke-free, and clean, though moving a bit slower than buses—had been purchased from Italy. If only they had purchased many more back then and added articulated models to the fleet as well. For example, if we had a massive trolleybus fleet of 500 vehicles—300 short ones and 200 articulated ones—and they served both sides of the strait…
However, with the limited number of trolleybuses available, this service was unfortunately always provided in a haphazard and incomplete manner, and the Kadıköy-Üsküdar areas never had the chance to experience them. All of them remained in service on the European side until June 1984.
There are no passengers inside the one on the opposite side of the street. Apparently, it’s the Bebek trolleybus marked 22C, and after letting everyone off at the last stop, it will make a U-turn and head toward the transit lane on the opposite sidewalk.
As for the service of the one stopped near us, it might be one of the following: a Bayazıd loop, or a 30 or 34 coming from Suriçi. Or even a Bebek trolleybus that’s still on the move… However, it cannot be one of the routes carrying passengers to Edirnekapı and Topkapı—namely, the 84 or 86—because immediately after departing from Terminal A, those routes would turn at the U-turn in front of the No. 3 ferry pier and head toward Sirkeci.
Advertisements for brands like Hoover, Persil, Tursil, Grundig, and Job—most of which have since faded into obscurity—adorn the sides of the trolleybuses… The advertisements on these old public transportation vehicles consisted of eye-catching slogans painted in bright colors on rectangular metal panels like these.
Take a look at the long, rectangular paving stones on the ground with their cut edges… During Fahri Atabey’s tenure (1968–73), these stones were laid in Eminönü, Bayazıd, Aksaray, Karaköy, and Beşiktaş. Since these were long stones, they would often crack down the middle and break easily, and during rainy weather, water would seep through the gaps and pool beneath them. These traps were also hard to spot from above… When you stepped on one side of the stone, the surface would rock like a seesaw, splashing the muddy, filthy water it held beneath and soaking those nearby.
The arched passageway, barely visible just above the pantograph housing of the trolleybus on the left, is the gutter beneath the Hünkâr Köşkü. Did you know that city buses used to pass through here?